Electronic components are commonly manufactured in component form. These electronic components are commonly interconnected and housed in a chassis or housing to form an electronic instrument, device or system. Some electronic chassis are of standardized shapes and/or sizes, and include attachment mechanisms that enable the chassis to couple with pre-existing corresponding electronic equipment racks. Electronic equipment that is designed to be housed within an electronic equipment rack is typically described as a “rack-mount,” a “rack mounted system/instrument,” a “rack-mount chassis,” a “subrack,” “rack mountable” or, occasionally, simply a “shelf” These terms are used interchangeable herein. The height of some rack-mount chassis (such as the front portion or face thereof) is standardized as multiples of about 1.75 inches, commonly referred to as one rack unit or “U.” Such rack-mount chassis may be 1 U, 2 U, 3 U or other rack unit heights. Similarly, the width of some rack-mount chassis is standardized based on the width of pre-existing electronic equipment racks. However, some rack-mount chassis are not standardized, but may be configured to mount to one or more pre-determined or corresponding electronic equipment racks.
Electronic equipment racks are also referred to as “electronic rack enclosures,” “rack enclosures,” “rack cabinets” or simply “racks.” These terms are used interchangeable herein. Electronic equipment racks allow users of electronic equipment to readily store, organize and access the chassis/electronic components and interconnect the components with appropriate electronic connections. Thereby, electronic equipment racks serve as means of organizing, storing and protecting valuable electronic components and rack-mount chassis. Typical racks are rectangular in shape and made from relatively strong materials. Some racks are of standardized heights, depths and/or widths. For example, some standardized racks include about a 19 inch width, or about a 23 inch or 600 mm width. Similarly, some standardized racks include a 42 U or 46 U height (commonly referred to as a “full” or “full size” rack) or an 18 U-22 U height (commonly referred to as a “half” or “half size” rack). However, as noted above, non-standardized racks also exist.
Many electronic equipment racks are available with either two front posts or rails (typically vertically extending) or four posts (two front posts and two back posts). Some racks have mounting rails or slides to support mount-rack chassis at both their front and rear portions. Many mount-rack chassis, however, mount to at least the two front posts of the racks via mounting holes in at least the front posts of the racks via associated hardware. For example, some rack-mountable equipment may be mounted simply by bolting or otherwise attaching or fastening at least the front panel thereof to the front posts of a rack. The mounting-hole distance or spacing within the rack posts may differ from rack to rack, and may differ between different standard sized racks. For example, some racks include even mounting-hole spacing, while other racks utilize an uneven mounting-hole spacing.
Some rack mount enclosures lack side panels or walls, a back panel or wall and/or a front panel or access door. However, some typical racks have solid or mesh/porous side panels. Similarly, some typical racks have either open, openable or mesh/porous front and/or back panels. If a particular rack includes a back wall or panel, it is typically removable or openable to expose the back portion of the rack-mount chassis mounted therein.
Rack-mount chassis and corresponding rack enclosures are widely used for computing, server and network equipment, allowing for dense hardware configurations without occupying excessive floor space or requiring shelving. Rack-mount chassis and corresponding racks are also commonly used with industrial power, control, automation, telecommunication, audio, video, entertainment, testing and laboratory electronics, for example. Many other electronic equipment or configurations are (or can be) housed within a rack-mount chassis and mounted within a corresponding rack. Simply stated, a rack-mount chassis and a corresponding rack enclosure may be used to house, store and operate any electronic equipment configured for any purpose or function.
Regardless of the particular electronic component(s) that is/are installed within a rack-mount chassis (and its/their particular configuration), essentially all electronic components depend on the passage of electric current to perform their intended function. Currently, electrical power is supplied or provided to a rack-mount chassis to power the electronic component(s) thereof via at least one power cord that mechanical and electrically couples to a corresponding electrical power coupler provided in the back end or portion of the chassis. The electrical power coupler of current rack-mount chassis is thereby typically accessed via the back of the chassis. In this way, one or more power cords commonly extend into the rear or back portion of an electronic equipment rack to couple to the power coupler at the back portion of one or more rack-mount chassis mounted within the rack. However, some rack-mount chassis require, or would benefit from, a relatively large number of input and/or output connectors or connections (i.e., electrical connections or ports) at the back portion or panel of the chassis (or other mechanisms, such as visual displays, access panels, etc.). As discussed above, many rack-mount chassis are configured according to standardized sizes, shapes and configurations to cooperate with corresponding standardized and/or pre-existing racks. The size, shape and configuration of the back portion or end of standardized rack-mount chassis is thereby limited and pre-determined or pre-defined. As such, the back portion or end of many rack-mount chassis cannot be physically enlarged or redesigned to accommodate or include more input and/or output connectors or other non-power coupler mechanisms than its standardized size, shape and configuration allows for or dictates.
For these reasons, and for other reasons discussed below and/or which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present disclosure, there is a need in the art for a rack-mount chassis that include at least one electrical power coupler or input on a side portion of the chassis. Further, rack-mount chassis that include a back portion or end that is void of an electrical power coupler, which may instead be provided on a side portion of the chassis, are desirable.